Method of agitating



E. COWLES METHOD OF AGITATING Filed March 22 1924 July 7 Lu W I Patent UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN OOWLES, 0F NEWIORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO OOWLES ENGINEERING COR- PORATION, OF SEWAREN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF AGITATING.

Application mm mm. 22, 1924. serial in. 701,122.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EDWIN Cownns, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Agitating, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of agitating and in its more intense aspects to a method of agitating fluids or liquids used in washing, cleaning or dyeing.

fabrics, for example, although it is, of course, to be understood that the method is applicable to other uses where a solid material, fabric or substance is required to be agitated while suspended in a liquid bath for the purpose of thoroughly permeating the materialby said liquid.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved method of the above general character in which a washing, cleaning or dyeing fluid or liquid is caused to circulate in a receptable and to be thoroughly agitated therein whereby a material or substance carried by said fluid or liquid is cleaned thereby or permeated therewith.

A further object is to provide a method of the above character in which the material acted upon will be thoroughly cleaned, washed, dyed or otherwise treated by the liquid in which it is immersed without injury to such material.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method of the above general character which will be reliable, efiicient and thoroughly practical. A clearer perceptionof .the invention may be had from the following description of a preferred form of apparatus, such as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, which is particularly designed for washing clothes, although the same apparatus is equally applicable to the dyeing of delicate fabrics where it is highly desirable that the fabrics the anexed drawings and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection therewith in the following analysis of the invention.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, the combination of parts, and in the unique relation of the variouszmembers and the relative-proportioning and dispositioning thereof, all as more clearly outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully comprehend the underlying features thereof in order that they may embody the same, by numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention drawings depicting the preferred forms of the invention have been annexed as part of this disclosure and in such drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the agitator;

Figure 2 is a partial vertical section of the lower end of the agitator taken at right angles to Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectional plan f view of the agitator within a receptacle adapted to contain the material to be agitated.

Describing first the apparatus, 5 indicates preferably a cylindrical casing of metal or other suitable material having connected at its upper part a motor 6 adapted to be driven by any suitable source of power, preferably electric current, as indicated by the lead wires -7.- This motor, as herein shown, is provided with a shaft 8 directly connected with a rotary or centrifugal pump 10 mounted within a housing 11 in the lower part of the 'cylindrical casing 5. I preferabl use this form of pump because of its hig efliciency,-ease of operation and freedom from gearing or other power consuming means. The casing 5 is provided with a plurality of intake holes 12 forming a suction surface of relatively confined area and a closely adjacent orcentrally disposed discharge opening 13, which latter 1s adapted to register with a discharge openin in the housing 11. Inlet openings 14 are a 0 provided in the housing 11, and this series of openings thereby permits the fluid to flow into and out of the lower interior part of the casing as shown in Figure 2. Thus fluid is drawn in through openings 12 upon actuation of the pump 10, as shown clearly in Figure 2, and discharged at the desired pressure and'volume through the outlet 13, lhereby to cause the proper degree of agitation within the receptacle 15, in which the device is mounted, as shown in Figure 3.

I The fluid, being ejected forcibly through the outlet 13, not only prevents the material acted upon, indicated by the numeral 16, from coming in contact with the surface of the casing 5, but also prevents this material from matting against the intake openings 12, which reduces the efficiency of the device and eliminates injury to delicate fabrics.

If desired, shields may be provided, both adjacent the agitator or in the corners of the receptacle, as indicated at 17, to increase the swirling action of the fluid within the receptacle and thereby lessening the possibility of the material treated from collecting or clogging in the corners.

In operation, the agitator as shown in Figure 1 is placed in any suitable receptacle, or in a wash tub or a bath tub, partially filled with water or to an extent suflicient to cover the lower half of the agitator, which water is supplied with the necessary amount of soap or other detergent or dye solution and is then started. The material to be acted upon is then added in the desired amount so that it is swirled rapidly about the. receptacle in a general circular direction by reason of the impinging jet of fluid ejected through the outlet opening 13, this outlet being so positioned with relation to the intake openings 12 which define a confined suction flow that a collection of'the material acted upon against the suction of the intake openin is positively eliminated as well as any ru bing action, which might otherwise occur, of the material over the perforated openings, thus reducing to a minimum any wear or tear exerted upon the material by reason of its engagement with such surfaces.

The above is particularly desirable when the agitator is used in dyeing delicate fabrics where it is highly desirable to have the material maintained freely suspended in the dyeing fluid and thoroughly agitated therein without danger of injury to the fabric as might otherwise occur were the fabric to be carried about on suitable frames into and out of the dyeing liquid or subjected to a jet of fluid at one side of the receptacle opposite the suction openings supplying said jet. Obviously, too, in this manner, a minimum amount of fluid may be used with the greatest advantage.

' It will thus be seen that the present invent on contemplates a simple and practical 'nomical to practice;

process or method of agitating fluids and the materials upon which the fluids act in a highly efficient and reliable manner. The apparatus is inexpensive to manufacture and install and the process is likewise eco- It is thus seen that the lates, among othpresent invention contem advantages here ers, all of the objects an in set forth.

Without further analysis the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by ap lying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications' without omitting certain features that from the standpoint of the prior art fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim: k

1. The method of agitating fabrics and the like freely suspended in a fluid bath in a container, which consists in introducing a high pressure jet of fluid into the container, simultaneously drawing off the fluid from the container,'and conflning the suction flow to the immediate proximity of the introduced fluid jet, thereby causing the entire contents of the container to be given a motion in an endless path.

.2. The herein described method of agitating fabrics and the like suspended in a fluid bath in a container, which consists in drawing off the fluid from the container, injecting a return jet of fluid into the container, thereby to cause the entire contents thereof to circulate about the container, confining the suction flow to the immediate proximity to the jet inflow, and at the same time forcing the fabrics from the suction flow at the departure thereof from the receptacle by the engagement of the inflow jet therewith.

' 3. The herein described method of agitating fabrics and the like suspended in a fluid bath in a container, which consists in injecting a jet of fluid into a container, simultaneously drawing off the fluid from the container, thereby causing the contents thereof to be 'ven a motion in an endless path, and con ing the suction flow to the immediate roximity of the jet inflow, thereby (positively moving the fabrics being acte upon out of the suction flow by their enga ement with the jet inflow.

4. The erein described method of agitating fabrics and the like sus nded in a fluid bath in a container, whic consists in drawing off the fluid from the container, simultaneously introducing a fluid jet into the COIlttlIlBl', thereby causing the contents of the receptacle to be given a whirling motion in an endless path, confining the suction flow to the immediate proximity of the jet inflow, and moving the articles to be a tated in a current adjacent to, but out of t e confined suction flow.

5. The herein described method of agitating fabrics and the like suspended in a fluid bath in a container, which consists in injecting a jet of fluid into the container, causing the material to be agitated to move about the receptacle in and endless path, and 10 drawing the fluid from said container to supply the jet while simultaneously confining the suctlon flow to the immediate proxim1ty of the jet inflow.

In witness whereof I have signed my 15 name.

EDWIN COWLES. 

